Dormitory Caregivers' Patterns of Guidance and Companionship in Strengthening the Moral Character of Female Students at Madrasah Aliyah As'adiyah Putri Pusat Sengkang

Abstract

This study examines how dormitory caregivers implement patterns of guidance and companionship to strengthen the moral character of female students at Madrasah Aliyah As'adiyah Putri Pusat Sengkang, Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi. Using a qualitative case-study design, data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation involving 15 informants selected through purposive sampling: four dormitory caregivers, two institutional leaders, three teachers involved in student guidance, and six female students, each chosen for direct and sustained involvement in dormitory life. Data collection took place over four months, combining routine observation of daily dormitory activities with semi-structured interviews and analysis of institutional documents. The findings indicate that character education is realized through an integrated pattern combining exemplary conduct (uswah hasanah), habituation, discipline, personal advice, supervision, and interpersonal accompaniment, in which caregivers function simultaneously as supervisors, educators, role models, and substitute parents. The underlying mechanism shows that firmness in enforcing rules becomes morally formative mainly when paired with dialogue and emotional closeness: students interpret consistent, explained, and empathetically delivered discipline as care rather than control, which increases their willingness to internalize rather than merely comply with institutional norms. Variation in students' family backgrounds and levels of emotional maturity shapes how quickly and how deeply this internalization occurs, requiring caregivers to individualize their approach rather than apply a single method. The study suggests that dormitory-based character education for female students becomes most formative when institutional structure, religious habituation, and dialogical caregiver-student relationships operate as an integrated system rather than as separate components.